Reversible door for distributing-cases.



P. J. MADIGAN.

REVERSIBLE DOOR FOR DISTRIBUTING GASES.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 14, 1912.

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Patented Aug. 19, 1913.

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Ul illED STATES PATRICK J. MADIGAN,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

REVERSIBLE DOOR FOR DISTRIBUTING-CASES.

Application filed December 14, 1912.

To all whom it may concern lie it known that I, PATRICK J. MADIGAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at hicago, in the county of Cook and State of lllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reversible Doors for Distributing-Cases, of which the following is description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which corresponding letters of reference in the different figures indicate like parts.

The object of my invention is to provide a duplex or double-acting door, capable of being opened from top or bottom, and more especially designed for use as a closure for inclined chutes such as are used in pbstotfic-e mail-cases for classifying or routing mail. Such cases usually consist of a series of tiers of inclined chutes, each chute being open at the upper end, into which mail for a given route or place may be deposited.

The mail pieces or packages are thrown from an indiscriminate pile or stack into the several chutes, according to their respective destinations, and fall to the lower ends of the chutes, where doors are provided for their removal. These doors are usually hinged at the top upon horizontal axes, and, when opened, permit the contents of a given chute to fall out into such receptacle as may be provided therefor by the attendants for the purpose of removal. The quantity of mail in a given chute at a given time varies It may be permitted to fall into a portable receptacle, but, whenever practicable, is removed by hand. In the latter case, packages or letters fall upon the floor before they can be grasped by the attendant, and much confusion and loss of time results. My invention enables me to overcome this difliculty by providing a door which may be opened with equal facility either from the top or bottom, and which may be automatically locked in position by the mere act of closing;-all of which is hereinafter more particularly described and definitely pointed out in the claims.

in the drawings, Figure 1, is an elevation of a portion of a case showing my improved door applied to an opening therein; Fig. 2, is a vertical sectional view taken upon the line 22, Fig. 1, viewed in the direction of the arrow there shown, a portion of the inclined chute being broken away; Fig. 3, is a Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 19,1913.

Serial No. 736,859.

like view showing the door as it would appear when opened from the top; ig. l, is a like view showing said doo as it would appear when opened from the bottom; F 5, is a sectional view, in detail, taken upon the line 55, Fig. 2, viewed in the direction of the arrow there shown: Fig. 6, represents a section taken upon the line G G, Fig. 2, viewed in the direction of the arrow there shown; Fig. 7, is a. detail sectiona view taken upon the line 77, Fig. 1, viewed in the direction of the arrow there shown; and Fig. 8, is a like view taken upon the line 8-8, Fig. I, viewed in the direction in dicated by the arrow.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a portion of an ordinary mail classifying or distributing case, having inclined chutes 2, Figs. 2, 3 and l, for receiving mail matter in the upper open end. At the lower end of ach chute is a discharge opening, which is preferably surrounded by a metallic frame-member generally designated by 3, rigidly attached to the outer face of the easing. Said frame is preferably made from angle-iron having a flange 4-, wnich is fitted within the chute opening as shown, the vertical portion of said flange being parallel to and preferably flush with. the side-walls of the chute. An elongated, rectangular metal frame-member 5, which 1 term the intermediate frame-member, is loosely titted within the opening of the stationary frame 3, said frame-member being held in place at or near the top by means of laterally extended pintles 6, 6, better shown in Fig. 5, which are rigidly attached thereto and extended loosely into vertical slots 7, 7, formed in the flange members or parts it, of the casing. The height of the frameunember is less than that of the opening in the easing, and the slots 7 are so adjusted that the pintles rest normally in the lower ends of the slots, thereby hinging said frame at the top. When thus sus iiended, the bottom of the frame-member 5 is slightly above the bottom ledge of the casing, so as to permit the former to swing freely within said opening, while a space is left at the top of .aid frame-member, as shown at S, which, in conjunction with the slots 7, enables said frame-member to be lifted vertically.

A notch or opening 9, F 8, is formed midway between the ends of the bottom portion of the part 4%, which is adapted to be engaged by a tooth 10, upon a fingercatch 11, when the intermediate frame-mem. ber is in the position shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 8. The intermediate frame-member is thus held by gravity in a locked position, but may easily be released and swung back from the bottom, as shown in Fig. 4, by grasping the finger-catch and lifting the frame until the catch is disengaged.

A door proper, generally designated by 12, is hinged within the intermediate frame 5, in such a manner as to act therewith or independently thereof. In other words, the two may be swung together from the bottom, in which case the pintles 6 act as the hinge, or the door may be opened from the top to swing upon bottom hinges connected with said intermediate frame. Said door is preferably formed from sheet-metal, and the frame or periphery is provided with inturned flanges 13, at right angles to its plane. \Vithin the flanges 13, at or near the bottom of the door, are vertical slots 1 1, Figs. 2, 8, 4, 6 and 8, through which is loosely projected a horizontal rod 15, also partially shown in Fig. 1, the ends of which are rigidly secured in bores in the intermediate frame 5,'as clearly shown in Fig. 6. The height of the door 12 is less than that represented by the opening in the intermediate frame, and the slots ll are so disposed that when the door is in a normal position, its weight will rest upon the rod 15, and the slots 14 will extend below said rod, while there will also be a corresponding space between the topof the door and the top bar or horizontal portion of the intermediate frame, as shown at 16, Figs. 1, 2, 1 and 5. A finger-catch 17 is rigidly attached to the upper edge of the door midway between its ends? from whence it is extended upwardly and thence inwardly, so as to pass over the top of the intermediate frame 5 ;a beveled tooth 18 being formed thereon so as to engage the inner edge of said frame, as clearly shown in Figs. 2, t and 7.

The operation of said device is as follows: Should the operator desire to open the door from the bottom to permit the contents of the chute to be discharged, he would grasp the finger-catch 11, and lift both the intermediate frame and the door inclosed therein until the catch is released, when the whole would be swung outwardly, as indicated in Fig. 1. On the other hand, if it should be desirable to gain access to the chute while arresting the discharge of the contents, it can be accomplished by grasping the part 17 and lifting the door 12, until the tooth 18 is freed from the top bar of the intermediate frame, when the door may be swung outwardly from the top and lowered to the position shown in Fig; 3. I prefer to adjust the parts so that the part 11 may form a rest for the door, to hold it in a substantially horizontal position. From the fore the door at the bottom.

going it will be seen that by merely grasp-. ing one or the other of the finger catches and lifting thereon until the catch is released, the door may be opened and swung outwardly from the bottom or the top, as desired. In the one case, in order to release the catch, both door and frame are lifted bodily; while in the other, only the door is lifted within the supplemental frame.

Une of the important advantages of the structure is that all springs and manually operated catches may be dispensed with and the locking controlled by gravity alone. This is an important feature in mail service, where the parts are subjected to most trying conditions, while the requirements are exacting and call for simplicity, durability and strength of construction. Another advantage is that letters or packages are often thrown in the wrong chutes. By opening the door from the top, access may be had to the chutes, for correcting such errors, without discharging mail. therefrom.

I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction shown, inasmuch as it may be varied without departing from the principle involved. For example, I have shown the intermediate frame hinged at the top and It is obvious that these conditions may be reversed, but I prefer the construction specified. It is further obvious that the hinged member which I have termed the intermediate frame may be hinged directly within the opening regardless of the character of the surrounding framework.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Pat ent is:

1. A closure of the character described, in which is combined a frame hinged upon a horizontal axis within an opening, said frame having a predetermined vertical movement within said opening, a door hinged upon a horizontal axis within said frame, said door having a predetermined vertical movement therein, the relative position of said hinges being reversed to permit one of said members to be opened from the bottom and the other from the top, and gravity-controlled means for independently locking each of said members in a normal position.

2. A closure of the character described, in which is combined a frame hinged in a substantially vertical plane upon a horizontal axis in an openingto be guarded, a door hinged upon a horizontal axis within said frame, said frame and door each having a predetermined vertical movement independently of each other, one within said opening and the other within said frame, the relative position of said hinges being reversed to permit one of said members to be opened from the bottom and the other from the top, and gravity-controlled means for independently locking each of said members in a normal position, whereby said door may be opened independently of said frame or both may be opened together.

3. A closure of the character described, in which is combined a frame hinged within a substantially vertical plane upon a horizontal axis in an opening to be guarded, a door hinged upon a horizontal axis within said frame, said door and frame each having a predetermined space above it to permit it to be raised independently of its fellow, the relative position of said hinges being reversed to permit one of said members to be swung outwardly from the bottom and the other from the top, and locking catches, one upon said frame and the other upon said door, one for normally locking the frame in the opening to be guarded and the other for normally locking the door to said frame, whereby the gravity of said frame and door may serve to retain said members in normal positions independently of each other. i

4. A closure of the character described, in which is combined a frame hinged substantially at its top in a substantially vertical plane upon a horizontal axis in an opening to be guarded, a door hinged substantially at its bottom upon a horizontal axis within said frame, said frame and door each having a predetermined space above it to permit it to be raised independently of its fellow, and independent locking means, one at the bottom of said frame. and the other at the top of said door, for normally locking said frame in position in the opening to be guarded while said door is in turn, locked within said frame.

5. A closure of the character described for guarding an opening, said closure comprising a frame hinged upon a horizontal axis within the opening to be guarded, a door hinged upon a horizontal axis within said frame, the hinges of one of said mem bers being at the bottom and the other at the top thereof to permit said members to swing in opposite directions with respect to each other, each member being held by its own gravity in a normal position while free to be slightly lifted in its normal plane independently of its fellow, a rigid catch upon the bottom of one member and another at the top of the other, one of said. catches being adapted to lock said frame to a predetermined stationary member and the other to lock said door to said frame.

6. The combination with a stationary frame surrounding an opening to be guarded, of an intermediate frame-member pivoted substantially at its top upon a horizontal axis upon pintles supported in vertical slots in said stationary frame to permit a limited vertical movement of said. intermediate frame, a door pivoted substantially at its bottom within said intermediate frame, said pivotal connection permitting a limited vertical movement of said door within said intermediate frame, a rigid catch for engaging the bottom of said intermediate frame when in a normal position, and a rigid catch for engaging the top of said door when in a normal position, each of said catches being held normally locked by the gravity of the member which it is intended to secure.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 12th day of December 1912.

PATRICK J. MADIGAN.

lVitnesses 2 DAVID H. FLETCHER, LESLIE W. FRIOKE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

